Awake in my Dreams
by HecateA
Summary: In which Malcolm is a good brother, Annabeth is a worried girlfriend doing her best, and Percy is in a deep slumber. Ten Days of Percabeth, day 2, Mark of Athena spoilers.


**I got a request on Tumblr to try something called Ten Days of Percabeth- basically ten one-shots about Percabeth published in ten consecutive days.**** So here is day 2.**

**Dedication: a fry**

**Disclaimer: Me no own PJO**

* * *

**Awake in my Dreams**

* * *

The Athena cabin was a place of chaos, but since there was an organisation to said chaos and it worked, its inhabitants had claimed that it was like Rome and should be left to be.

That had, of course, taken a whole new meaning in December's recent developments.

The cabin's bunks were clustered against the wall and it was a tight squeeze across shelves and worktables to get to them. Then some of the taller kids sleeping on the top bunks had to duck models of mechanical dragons who struggled against the ropes they hung on, flying machines with miniature working engines and model airplanes. Piles of books were everywhere and overall it felt _so safe _for children of Athena. If you had a nervous breakdown about not remembering the fifty-eighth digit of pi, nobody judged, and someone would fill in the blank. If you suddenly wondered if the sack of Athens in 408 BC could've been avoided if the walls would've been built at another angle, someone would find some paper and a pen for the purpose of your quick diagrams and buddy up with you on a model reenactment project.

So when Malcolm got down from his bunk to get a drink of water he wasn't happy to notice that, once again, Annabeth wasn't sleeping, and he decided to go check on her because no matter how many months before his own her birthday was, she was his little sister.

He sat on the foot of her bed, careful to avoid its permanent blanket of notes, the laptop, maps, and books.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a whisper.

"I just can't sleep, she said sitting up, her hair cascading down her back as she did. "Really, it's okay Malcolm. You go back up."

"There's no such thing as 'can't sleep' for three months in a row." Malcolm said.

"Somnipathy," Annabeth said.

"You don't have a sleep disorder," Malcolm said. "What's wrong? Just tell me, I'm your brother."

He knew, even if he couldn't see her face, that she was very resistant to the idea.

"I keep expecting these nightmares about Percy being overrun by immortal monsters or getting crucified by people wearing purple shirts." She said. "I… I just can't sleep without him at Camp, or without him at a place that I know is safe."

Malcolm's shoulders dropped. Of course this was what was going on.

Malcolm lied down next to her and held her since he wasn't sure how else to make his little-big-sister feel better.

"You remember how I went through that Classical/Feudo-Japan phase?"

"Yes," Annabeth said. "Two years ago."

"Well as a side project I read a lot of their mythology," Malcolm said. "There's this one legend that says that if you can't sleep, it's because you're awake in someone else's dreams."

Annabeth sighed and put her head on his shoulder. He expected her to bring up time zones and the inaccuracy of Japanese mythology if Greco-Roman was put into the mix or something of the likes, but she understood well enough that he was trying to make her feel better and she also understood very well that Malcolm's social skills left something to desire in the first place.

"We must be doing some intense monster-hunting in Percy's dreams then. I'm exhausted." Annabeth said.

After a while of safe and total silence, he thought she'd fallen asleep. He gently put her back on her pillow and tucked her in because that was what good big-little brothers did to their heart sick little-big sisters. He walked away to go climb up, but she said his name.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for that," she said.

"No problem," Malcolm said. "I miss him too, you know. And I'm not even his girlfriend. All of camp misses him, you're not weak or anything."

She pretended to be asleep to avoid answering that.

* * *

**Months Later **

Malcolm had made it a habit of his to stay up with Annabeth for as long as he could. He'd usually fall asleep beforehand, but her insomnia kept her up for hours and hours longer than he could manage.

They sat on the cabin's steps since the spring weather made it bearable and read books, whispering as to not disturb their cabin mates.

Malcolm had a question on Gothic architecture and it was entirely Annabeth's field of expertise. He turned around, mouth open, and saw her slouching against the front step's railing, eyes closed, hair in her eyes, fast asleep.

* * *

**Meanwhile **

Her eyes and smile were teasing her. She didn't have to say anything; he knew she was teasing him. "Come on Seaweed Brain," she said. "Look alive."

Her hand was held out to him so Percy got up and followed her across Central Park. He laced his hand with hers once he caught up and slowed his step to match hers as they took a walk.

"You know what," Percy said. "I think I like Central Park a lot."

"And you made that executive decision today?"

"Yup," Percy said. "First time I'm in it with you."

She stopped walking and turned to face him.

"That's cheesy," she said. "How desperate are you?"

"Very," he admitted. She laughed, shifted all of her weight to her toes, and kissed him.

* * *

His eyes shot open and he didn't see her anymore, or that park whatever it was. Once he rubbed the sleep from his eyes he saw the leaves spreading over him like a canopy, some old ruins and… and wolves.


End file.
